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Patgreat
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# Posted: 17 Oct 2012 01:38pm
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I am heading up to my cabin tommorrow after work. Taking off friday to get a new propane fireplace installed. on top of that i need to move and stack all my wood for my wood burning stove, i have to reseal the area around my chimney, take out my summer windows and install the winter ones, mow the lawn one last time, make sure the creek out back is free of debris and running strong. And get a few hours of fishing in as well! Its going to be an awesome weekend! 
what type of things does everyone half to do to get ready for the winter?
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SE Ohio
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# Posted: 17 Oct 2012 09:00pm
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Change solar panel angle for low sun in winter
Rake leaves away from cabin and porta potty to eliminate leaves as nesting materials
Add highly concentrated salt water to porta potty to prevent freezing
Check cabin contents for anything that might freeze/burst open and make a mess
Make sure there is plenty of kindling, tinder, etc.
Make sure chimney pipe is clear before starting first fire, and burn "chimney sweep" chemical log to clean out creosote.
Always ready woodburner for next trip so that when I get there all I have to do is light a match.
Screens out, storm windows in "screen" doors
Clean gutters after the last leaves are down.
Target practice and fill the deer feeder : )
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 17 Oct 2012 10:09pm
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Mine is always winterized when I leave. I have covers for all the windows, put my picnic table on the porch to get it out of the weather. I store all my liquid stuff, ie dish soap in a containers, so if anything freezes, I dont have oooze all over. I have no plumbing.
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 18 Oct 2012 12:10am
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Most of what needs to be done gets done in August a piece at a time; PV angles, raking pine needles, firewood, kindling, pine needles for tinder, water the batteries, etc, etc.
Windows are twin thermal pane with built in screens so no need to mess with that. The gutters have leaf screens or whatever they are called, and they work pretty good.
I cleaned the chimney about a month ago.
I winterize the water system by end of October; did that last weekend. Cabin interior temps will still not fall to freezing for another month (on average), but why push my luck? So last weekend I did that. Blow out the pipes with compressed air, Drain the one sink trap (greywater system so no worry about septic smell)
Composting toilet chamber emptied so we don't need to worry about it freezing into a block of sh** over winter.
In early September we cleared out the refrigerator, washed it clean, and inserted my door spacers to leave the doors cracked open for airing out. Removed the batteries for the light. No sense leaving it run when Sept through April we'll only be there every other weekend on average.
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CabinBuilder
Admin
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# Posted: 18 Oct 2012 09:28am
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Move some outdoor furniture inside the storage shed or under veranda's roof,
empty and store away water collecting barrels,
remove fabric roof cover from gazebo frame
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trollbridge
Member
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# Posted: 18 Oct 2012 09:42am
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Chop firewood!!!!
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Storogoth
Member
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# Posted: 18 Oct 2012 10:50am - Edited by: Storogoth
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I was hoping to get the standing seam roof on before the snow flies but time is running out. It has either been too wet, windy or I've had to work over the weekend for the last couple of months. It should be ok with the snow if I can't get 'er done but these 80 mph winds in Northern Colorado will shred the felt right off.
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AYP1909
Member
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# Posted: 18 Oct 2012 11:39am
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Quoting: trollbridge Chop firewood!!!!
TB:
Where I come from, this is a springtime activity.
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Montanan
Member
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# Posted: 18 Oct 2012 12:00pm
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Chop firewood here, too! (We have lots of downed timber stacked in piles but we cut it into the right length for the wood stove and then split the larger logs in the fall.)
We also start winterizing every time we leave, which means draining the hot water heater, draining and then blowing out the plumbing, storing away the patio furniture and hammock, etc.
This year we are also trying heat wrap on the pipe feeding our water pump...fingers crossed that it does the trick.
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trollbridge
Member
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# Posted: 18 Oct 2012 05:47pm
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Quoting: Montanan We have lots of downed timber stacked in piles but we cut it into the right length for the wood stove and then split the larger logs in the fall.
Quoting: AYP1909 Where I come from, this is a springtime activity.
It would be better to have it done in the spring instead of the last minute...maybe someday
We have a bunch that has been cut and drying all summer but we need to split it still. It is so hard to get everything done when we are still in the thick of trying to complete the cabin. We need the "wood splitting angel" to come visit us for the weekend
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brokeneck
Member
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# Posted: 20 Oct 2012 06:45pm
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Take the winter shutters and window out of the storage loft and install them over the summertime screens -- take down the metal framed hammock and put it in the loft. Get ready to enjoy the winter wonderland --
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ShabinNo5
Member
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# Posted: 21 Oct 2012 08:10am
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Trollbridge, we purchased a hydrolic woodsplitter a few years back. We joked that it was a low tech Nordic Track. The kids thought it was the greatest toy! That first afternoon the woodshed was filled for the season. Alas, the kids are a few years older and the entertainment value only lasts a few minues 
General winter preparation involves leaning the picnic table against a tree, securing the tarp used to wall off the crawl space and leaning a snow shovel next to the door.
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rayyy
Member
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# Posted: 21 Oct 2012 08:32am
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Got my water tank insullated and boxed in.Got my curtains up in the kitchen and living room.With insullated walls,floor and ceiling,It's much,much warmer this year.All the major work is done,just little things here and there to do yet.It's been a good,productive year.
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Sustainusfarm
Member
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# Posted: 21 Oct 2012 08:37pm
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Cut and split fire wood that has been drying all summer, empty rain barrels, look for cracks or holes mice can get into, bring in all the outdoor funiture, cut down the gardens, take out the AC units, turn off the refrigerator and take home all the stuff that can freeze (it was 20 degrees the other night!). We have no indoor plumbing and our last "warm weather" trip will be on Nov. 2-9! 
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fpw
Member
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# Posted: 22 Oct 2012 07:28pm
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I spent the weekend fighting my Oliver 880 and making sure she was ready for winter. Fuel filter, points, condenser, gas, Stabil, and a whole lot of swear words. Eventually, the tractor was up and running and ready to take on the cold weather.
I was quite happy when I fired up the sawmill and all I had to do was add some Stabil to the fuel.
So, everything is ready...way ahead of time. Normally, I wait till it is cold and the snow flies to winterize things.
Fuel Filter
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Oliver 880
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TimberKing 1220
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Buggy
Member
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# Posted: 23 Oct 2012 02:10am
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Just closed up the cabin this weekend just in case we can't get back up there again before a storm closes the road. Spent Sunday winterizing the cabin by doing the following:
Turned off all of the gas valves
Attached winter covers on windows and door
Turned the water off, drained the pipes and added some anti freeze
Moved deck and fire pit seating into storage
Cleaned the inside of the cabin
Removed food that could spoil
Drained the hot water heater
Did some additional clearing of pine needles around the cabin
Placed all flammable liquids into the out-building
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Rob_O
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# Posted: 25 Oct 2012 04:43pm
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I took a couple days off work to clean up around the trailer and enjoy this beautiful Fall weather. Most of the time has been spent enjoying the weather but I have managed to remove anything that can freeze from the cabinets so I guess the place is as ready as it is going to get.
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TomChum
Member
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# Posted: 26 Oct 2012 10:01pm - Edited by: TomChum
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Pick-up-sticks and deadfall. They're easy to see because the grass is all dead.
Make big burnpiles, with brush too, then light them at first snow - huge fires. Then next spring the grass grows better, and it doesnt take so long for the grass and wildflowers to grow (higher than the sticks). Its dawn-to-dusk work but its great exercise, and strangely satisfying. And its solo work.....(can't imagine why.....?)
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cabingal3
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2012 09:34am
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this last summer...we cleaned up the wood piles all around the cabin.there use to be an old camper there and gar torn it down.there was left over debris there for so long.well its gone now.we made lots of burn piles.we have to do this every year.
we put all tools inside the cabin.we close the windows and batten them down.we are trying to get ahold of someone out there that plows the roads to please plow a bit past our driveway.so we dont have to hike in hauling all our stuff this year.so far we always have to haul ice chests,and five gallon water jugs and propane tanks n our clothes and such.
we always clean the cabin up really nice before we leave so that when we come back we can have it nice.last time though,i think a vole got in the back door and i ran after it and never did find it.so we have this to look forward to this coming visit.
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